From: Christine Miller [cmiller@qualcomm.com]
Sent: Monday, January 29, 2001 6:29 PM
To: FDADockets@oc.fda.gov
Subject: Please grant petition 98P-0151/CP1
TO: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Dockets Management Branch
5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1061
Rockville, MD 20852
I am writing to urge you to please grant petition 98P-0151/CP1 to prohibit the slaughter of downed animals for the following reasons:
a.. Animals who are too sick or injured to even stand should never be allowed to enter the food chain. Aside from posing an increased risk for bacterial contamination, there is ample evidence that some downed animals may be afflicted with a form of BSE ("Mad Cow Disease"), a disease which has been linked to a fatal human illness, Creutzfeldt -Jakob Disease.
a.. It is impossible to moved a downed animal humanely, and they are typically pushed (alive) with tractors or cruelly dragged along the ground with chains -- methods which cause serious injuries, including broken bones and torn ligaments.
a.. Downed animals comprise a very small percentage of animals slaughtered -- prohibiting their marketing will not cause undue economic hardship for anyone.
a.. Experts in this industry have estimated that 90% of downed animals can be prevented simply with improved care and handling techniques. Therefore, removing the market for downed animals will provide an incentive to prevent downed animals in the first place.
Thank you.
A concerned citizen,
Christine Miller